Light in the Darkness
by UberHyperFangirl
Summary: In a land of fantasy Roderich is a king and Vash is a knight that retired to become a simple farmer with the young Lili he cares for. But now Roderich has been kidnapped and the kingdom is in darkness...and guess who his only hope is? AU. Rated to be safe
1. Chapter 1

^^; I had a dream where I was the main character of an RPG. That inspired this. I-I don't really know what to say. There will be multiple pairings like PurCan, AmePan, and GerIta. I'm honestly torn between FrUK and FRussia for this story. So for that I would love fan opinion in PM or review form; either is fine but it should come in chapter 4 or 5. While the main pairing isn't going to have much time together in this story they are the main focus of this story. For those reading this because they have me on their alerts I am still working on the end of Ballet of Life; I've just hit a bit of writer's block in a really emotional part.

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><p>Vash sighed, starring out at the sky from the window of his home. It was impressive for where he lived but not as much a mansion or a palace. Something was wrong with their world lately, like it was out of balance. The nights were coming too soon and lasting to long for early spring. It made the ranger think of a prince he knew for some reason…no, he was a king now. Sure he wasn't much of one his arranged marriage wife often protecting him but he was still a king. "Roderich…"<p>

"Something wrong, big brother?" The young blond man jumped, turning his gaze to his little sister. Well…she wasn't really his sister but he took her in when no one else word and now the two were like siblings. As always she looked lovely despite the condition of her lavender purple skirt and off white shirt. Maybe he should buy her a new dress, it had been half a year which was when he'd usually treat her to one. Vash frowned, seeing that she had again trimmed her hair to stay similar to his.

Living in a small farm they didn't have to worry about neighbors complaining but the retired mercenary felt angry that it meant he couldn't take her to the nearby village because of how frowned upon it was for a woman to wear her hair short on purpose without wielding a weapon. Naturally that worried him even more that she might never find a husband that he'd deem worthy of her despite her sweet nature. The young teen smiled, giving a small laugh. "Is it about King Roderich? You're worried about him, right?"

How did she always do that? "O-of course not! What gave you that idea?" It had been five years since he worked for that ungrateful idiot! Besides, he was safe with Queen Elizabeta. Still….those dark clouds were worrying him.

"Oh…we-well, dinner is almost ready. I may some beef stew."

Vash just nodded, looking out the window. Suddenly his eyes caught sight of something: a figure running up to their modest home wearing a forest green cloak. Ever leery of strangers, the ranger grabbed his sword by the door and threw it opened, blade waiting for the stranger. All this happened in a few seconds causing his sister to gasp behind him.

"Vash. Calm down." The figure slowly raised their right hand, pulling back the hood to reveal waist length brunette hair and emerald green eyes. "It's me."

"…Queen Elizabeta?" Vash frowned, looking around her frantically. Where was Roderich?

"Vash, please. Let me inside. I'll explain everything once I'm inside. It's too dangerous to be out here any longer."

The young man frowned, putting his sword down and stepping back, quickly closing and locking the door behind her. Did this have something to do with the darkness? "What's wrong? Where's Pr-King Roderich?"

She moved around, quickly closing all the windows before speaking. "This darkness isn't natural. It's a curse placed on our people. And the caster of it has Roderich! I tried to fight him but I was powerless. I'm not skilled in fighting against magic. You were the first person I could think of to turn to, Sir Vash!"

Vash flinched at that. That was his past when he was a young teenager. "It's just Vash now and you've got the wrong guy. I'm a simple farmer and ranger, mercenary…knight…that's my past. I'm not that guy anymore."

"Vash, please! If you fear for your sister I'll watch after her. The castle isn't safe for me to return to, anyways. Roderich is your friend! He talks about you all the time! You might be the only hope to rescue him, to rescue the kingdom! If nothing else do it for the people of the kingdom! Your sister is a part of it!"

"…why me? Why not a wizard? I'm just a simple farmer."

"You're not and you know it! Vash…don't make me do this."

He frowned, he knew what she was talking about. Vash couldn't ignore it if it was an order from the queen of the kingdom where he lived. "…fine. I'll do it. I'll leave when dawn is supposed to break tomorrow. But this is for my sister more than anything else."

The queen smiled, clearly tempted to hug him but settled for a curtsey. "Thank you, Vash! I don't know what he wants with Roderich but it can't be good. I'm willing to bet it has something to do with his own magic. Sadly, I don't know where he took him, either. My best guess would be follow the darkness. If I may my journey here has been long."

"Of course." Vash gave a nod, escorting her to his best guest room. It wasn't fit for a queen but it was nicer then you'd expect from a farmhouse. "Rest easy, my queen. I'll do the best I can." With that he headed back for the kitchen. After dinner he packed up his things, reassured his sister, and went to bed.

"_You really are useless. What kind of future king are you?"_

"_Father says wisdom can still make a great ruler."_

"_That doesn't mean you shouldn't –try- to be stronger!" Vash grumble, eleven years old and carrying Roderich on his back. "You should be able to defend your kingdom! And don't tell me that's what knights are for! You should at least teach yourself some magic."_

_Roderich laughed, a grin on his face despite his black eye. "Why should I when I have you to rescue me? You are going to be my captain when I'm king, right?"_

"_St-stop laughing! And what kind of question is that? I'm a mercenary, not a knight."_

"…_you could be a knight. Wouldn't you like a place to call home instead of wondering from kingdom to kingdom looking for work? You're a young orphan, Vash…don't you want some stability?"_

_"Why? So I can get attached to something? It's foolish. Everything goes away in the end, even kingdoms."_

_The young prince gave another laugh at that. "That's why we should enjoy them while they're around, right? And once they're gone we can cherish those memories."_

"_Idiot!"_

Vash's green eyes snapped out, starring at the ceiling. "…why am I remembering that now?" He shook his head, getting up and getting dressed. Quietly he kissed his still sleeping sister goodbye and grabbed a roll of bread and some cheese to eat. With that the ranger grabbed his thing and left. Follow the darkness. His gazed at the sky before heading north, leaving the home he'd known for four years behind him.

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><p>Yay! I loved doing the flashback! I thought it was cute twisting it to the world I put them in. The fact that Vash was -once- a knight for Roderich is going to come up a lot in this story...and he's going to get mad about it a lot. XD On to the next chapter!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2! Roderich is going to make his first appearance. Some of you may catch the hints I placed in the this chapter where the focus is on Roderich and the warlock. I will state now the warlock is a nameless OC I made just for this because I didn't want to make Prussia the bad guy again. If you all have any ideas for his name, any nationality, I won't mind. Now enjoy this chapter. ^^

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><p>Was he really doing this? Going on a quest to find Roderich? A quest…no! That wasn't his life anymore! Adventure! Yeah, that was the word he meant! An adventure. Vash never thought he of all people would be the big hero of the kingdom but here he was, trying to track down where this mysterious warlock was. Why did he even want with Roderich? Sure the king knew magic but it was useless in battle outside of healing. This was all so confusing!<p>

The young man gave a silent curse. He was over thinking all this! In the end it was just him having to bail out the king again and he'd probably try to talk him into leading his knights again. That just wasn't his kind of life. While he wasn't one to shy away from money he just wasn't a diamonds and pearls kind of guy. Vash would rather be isolated living by his sweat and blood then barking orders in a fancy castle.

Why was he even thinking about all this stuff? Probably because he had nothing better to do to pass the time as he walked. This was no good! He needed a horse or he might be too late to undo what was going on! But what could he do? It wasn't like he had enough money to just stop at the next village and buy a horse. He really should have thought this out more…did Elizabeta even? Well, at the very least he was going to go down fighting!

rrrrrrrrrr

A dark figure looked in a sphere of blood red light, chuckling darkly as he watched Vash. "A foolish boy on a foolish mission. You see that, Roderich? He thinks he can walk here to save you! I'm speaking to you!"

Roderich frowned, slowly raising his sad, violet eyes. His wrists were chained together as were his ankles just enough to he could walk around the room he was a prisoner in. Good….Elizabeta had done as he asked! But why hadn't she taken a horse and given it to him? How could Vash hope to make it walking?

"Yes, you see it, don't you? I know you can. The fool believes he can fight through my darkness with no magic of his own. And he thought you were the idiot. Yes…it's saddening, isn't it? What was his name again?"

The king's throat was dry but he couldn't help it as the name slipped through his lips hoarse and broken. "Vash…"

"Ah, that's right. Vash. You once offered to make him a knight, didn't you? The most powerful knight in the whole kingdom, in fact. But he refused and left you all alone. Shattered your heart and left you to go through failed marriage after failed marriage."

Purple eyes glared, a small aura coming from him that seemed to travel up into the ceiling of the room and out of sight. "Vash cares about me. The fact that he's doing this is proof of that!"

"Does he? No. He's doing this for himself. So he can go back to his solitude without a care for the rest of the world. He's doing this because he thinks he can fight away the darkness and save himself but there's darkness everywhere. Even in the happiest of places that seem to shine so bright there is darkness. You just need to push the right button."

The midnight black haired warlock smirked, flicking his wrist and gazing into his crystal ball to gaze into a sleepy little tavern. "Like here. So many hearts hiding their feelings away afraid of hurt. It's a shame the prince that frequencies that place is so powerful unlike you; he's almost as good a source of power for me as you are. Just think…a little power could have saved you from this like it did him. So weak. And just think; if one thing was different in your pathetic life you wouldn't be the doom of your own kingdom, of the whole world!"

Roderick looked at the ground in shame again, more of that small aura leaving him and floating away through the ceiling. As much as he tried to fight it all he knew just how true every word was. This was all his fault for being so weak. Vash might die going through all this!

"See? If you were even emotionally stronger you might be able to at least delay all this but you can't. Hm? That damn wizard is trying to 'cure' my darkness again. Fool. If he paid attention to the family his magic gave him he'd have better luck. What to do to them today?"

"L-leave my people alone. It's one thing to torment me but leave that family alone!"

"That's right. Get angry. Let the dark emotions flood you. Ah…the more timid son seems to be the light for them all. Let's extinguish that, shall we?"

"What are you going to do? Leave that boy alone!"

The warlock smirked, muttering a few words. Through the ball of energy one could hear a loud crack like a pile of dishes falling to the floor. "Oh…they all managed to miss anything vital. Oh, well. That just means he'll suffer more…and more darkness from more people. You think that foolish wizard would figure out just how simple it would be to cure the boy? No…he's too arrogant; that's why he thinks his magic can stop mine. He'll assume it would take days and require the rarest of things."

The king gave a growl. He wished he could deal at least once blow to the warlock but he knew better. His shackles were enchanted and if he tried he'd be in pain…a pain that would further fuel the madman's magic! "…Vash will put an end to you."

"Oh? Back to that? Trying to distract me or something? Yes…as a matter of fact why don't we check on him." He smirked, flicking his wrist again. "Oh, my. Would you look at that."

"Vash!"

vvvvvvvvvv

What was this? He must have let his guard down while he was thinking! There was no other way to explain why he was suddenly surrounded by a pack of at least six wolves that all looked thirsty for blood. Vash glared, drawling his sword; firing his crossbow and reloading it would take too long against a pack of swift wolves! "You want a piece of me? Come get it!"

All the training he hadn't used in years came back as he moved from memory, taking down two of the wolves quickly as they tried to pounce and pin him down. Two down. This wasn't so bad. The ranger's eyes went wide as the one that didn't have his head chopped off stood up, steam appearing to come from its wounds as the closed up. Ok…behead them! Wait…it was healing too! What was he to do?

No...no! He must not give up! Everything had a weakness! Vash just had to keep fighting until he found their weak point! Determined, he kept on hacking, running while they were healing far from his mind. The former mercenary wasn't sure how long he had been at it but it was clear he was getting no one fast, about to collapse. No…Roderich needed him. Roderich…

What was that noise? When had he hit the ground? Vash groaned as he was rolled onto his back, seeing a faint but familiar outline. No…that couldn't be.

"Idiot! You're lucky the awesome me was here!"

Gilbert…

"Too tired to talk, huh? Don't worry, I'm going to help get you some place safe. Can't go playing hero in your state!"

How did he know? What was going on? The ranger didn't know, he just let himself fall to sleep.

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><p>What's this? Gilbert saved Vash's life? BTW, how Gilbert managed while Vash couldn't will be revealed in the next chapter. No further comments at this time since I'll have it up already.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Before -anyone- asks! -Points down- That is a dream but there's magic involved. I made it that Roderich's magic is useful for -fighting- but he can still use magic. Um...no other comments.

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><p>"<em>Vash. Vash! Can you hear me?"<em>

_Vash blinked, opening his eyes. Slowly he sat up. Where was he? It was so full of light. Was this the afterlife?_

"_Vash."_

_Slowly he turned around. No…th-that wasn't possible! "…King Roderich?" This couldn't be possible. What was going on?_

"_Please…you don't have to be so formal with me. You're dreaming. I'm trying to contact you. I…can't tell you how relieved I am that you survived those shadow wolves."_

_Shadow wolves? "How did you know?"_

"_The man that has be prisoner was watching you, hoping to taunt me. I don't have much time! What I'm doing takes a lot of power to do. Please listen to me. Go to Euranova Village! From there you need to go to the Drunken Wizard's Inn. Make sure you bring some berries from a Sapphireweed bush with you. I know it's a lot to take in but in doing this you'll help a lot of people. If you want to help the kingdom, help our people. I'm….I'm begging you, Vash. Ignore me for now and focus on weakening his greatest power outside of….of where ever I am. I-I can't…an-any…please…"_

"_Roderich? Roderich!" Was he fading? No! How was that possible?_

"Roderich!" Vash was panting, looking around as he found himself sitting up in a bed in a strange place. Where was he?

"Ve! You're awake!"

The ranger jumped, looking to his right to see a young man with short brunette hair, his eyes too hard to see to make out a color. "Ju-just who are you?"

"I'm Feliciano! A healer! I'm so glad you woke up, ve! You're at my house. Well, me and Ludwig's. And Gilbert's."

Ludwig….wait! Gilbert? Gilbert! That was right. "I have to get going." What had Roderich said? Was that dream even real? "I need to get to Euranova Village."

"Not with those weapons you aren't. You can't kill Shadow Beasts with regular weapons."

Great. Just perfect. "Well, then what do I have to do?" He had to do this as fast as possible and save Ro-the kingdom!

"Creatures of darkness can only be banished by light. Gilbert managed is because of his history as a paladin. It takes someone special to wield those kinds of weapons. Ah! Are you going to be a hero and save the kingdom?"

"That's the plan." Well, it really was but did the healer have to be so…blunt about it?

"Ve! Then of course I'll be happy to help! But you know usually even heroes usually don't get something for free."

Great. "Fine. How much?"

"How much? It's nothing like that. It's more something I'd like you do for me; a favor for a favor."

Vash didn't like where this was going. "What's the favor?"

"Yeah! Thank you! Ludwig has been down since the darkness started to come." The very cheerful and energetic man suddenly frowned. "He's been complaining about feeling powerless since normal weapons are useless but my magic is so strong against them. He's so sad he can't channel the light so it's becoming a cycle. You used to work with him as a knight, right? Maybe you make him feel stronger or cheer him up? I'll be deep in debt to you if you could do that for us."

Was that all? Wow. "Sounds easy enough."

"Thank you, ve! Oh , but you should eat something first! I'm making some pasta! Who knows, maybe seeing a fellow knight that got his butt kicked by the darkness might be enough to cheer him up!"

Wh-what? "I'm not a knight! And I di-he-hey! Get back here!" Vash grumbled, watching the other dance away with a large grin on his face. He sighed, slowly getting up, glad to see he still had all his clothes on as he stepped out of the room.

There at the table was a once great knight with slicked back blonde hair, sulking away. It was sickening seeing one so great such a mess over something so small. The strong man did a double take before jumping to his feet and standing at attention. "Sir Vash!"

Great. "How many times do I have to tell everyone! I'm just Vash now. What has gotten into you? You at yourself! You're a royal knight!"

Ludwig sighed, sitting back down. "Was. What kind of knight can't protect his king? We can barely do any damage to the lesser minions of that warlock. How are we supposed to fight? The kingdom is doomed."

Wow. He really was down about this. What was that dark mist coming from him? Weird. "You are Sir Ludwig of the West! Greatest commander our knights have ever seen and you're going to let a warlock and his wimpy minions get you down? A knight goes down fighting! Don't sit back and let them win! If we're going down we're going down swinging! Besides, thinking negative is only going to make things worse! You have to think positive! If you think you're going to lose you've already lost!"

Gilbert grinned. "You see, bruder? You got to fight! We got to make our ancestors proud by going down swinging! Cousin Roderich may be the king but we still have a duty to this kingdom! We got to go down swinging! You need to stop acting like it's the end! If you want to fight you have to believe we can win this!"

Ludwig sighed, shaking his head. "What's the point? I can't even protect Feliciano anymore."

That wa-wait…where was he? Vash looked around, puzzled. "Where is Feliciano?"

The albino laughed, shaking his head. "No worries. He's probably getting Kiku. The guy will only leave his room for food since he moved in with us. Got a nasty curse! Apparently his boyfriend was experimenting with magic and it went horribly wrong. Kiku was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Feliciano tried to cure him but so far all he's done is stop it from spreading."

"So why is he here?"

"He's a friend."

They all jumped, turning around to see the cheerful brunette next to a short man. His face was covered with a white mask and the hood of his white cloak but it was still clear he wished nothing more than to shrink away or run back to his room. The raven haired man spoke, very softly. "Oh…w-we have a visitor. I'm sorry….I can't assist in being…a proper host right now."

The former mercenary suddenly noticed that through the eyes holes in the mask one could make out skin that seemed sickly pale…but part of it was black like it had been burnt! Vash then realized he was starring, adverting his gaze so as to not be rude. "It's fine. I'm Vash." Well, might as well be polite.

"…Kiku. I'm from the east. I know…you're curious what I'm doing here. In truth I guess you could say love brought me here…but now I question that." The frown as visible in his eyes as he slowly sat at the table.

Everything was quite until they all finished eating. At that moment a bird came flying through the window holding a letter. Gilbert jumped up at once, petting it before opening the letter. "Alright! Word from Birdie!" Suddenly the smile was wiped from his face. "…it's Francis' handwriting." Gilbert's face suddenly got paler. "He's sick. Really sick. I got to get to Euranova Village!"

Euranova Village? "That's where I'm heading. For The Drunken Wizard's Inn." A strange coincidence.

"What? You're heading where Birdie lives?"

Kiku frowned. "…and his brother…Alfred."

Well, the mood in the room had been totally drained. Well…Roderich had told him to help as many people as he could for some reason. "Then the three of us are getting some horses and heading their together!" He wasn't sure of the full story for Kiku but he knew it wouldn't go away hiding away like this! "We should get packing and go."

"Ve! Hang on one moment!" Feliciano seemed to be in a panic, shaking his head. "You can't go out there! Even if Gilbert can fight them because he used to be a paladin you don't have proper weapons and Kiku can't use the light to fight right now!"

Right…he needed the proper weapon. "Then give me a sword and crossbow and I'll make it up to you somehow! But this is clearly an emergency! We have to get going!"

The brunette frowned but gave a nod, running off to get a bag first and came back. "They're Sapphire Berries. Make sure Kiku takes them twice a day."

Sapphire berries? No! It couldn't be that easy! "Hey…Feliciano. You wouldn't mind giving me another bag of these, would you? I think they're going to come in great handy."

"Ah! Sure! You're right, though. They're great for at least delaying the effects of curses and might help you out. Tell you what, this favor is on the house!"

"Thanks. Now we just need to get some horses."

Feliciano then beamed, jumping out and down excited. "I know just the person to talk to! Felix! He's very close to here! He's very attached to his horses but he'll melt like butter if you get him a dress. The girlier the better. Oh! I think Antonio got one that will fit him that he stole! You go with Gilbert to get the horses and I'll go talk to my brother about the weapons."

-Him-? A dress? Well, if it got him a horse. "Alright! Let's get moving, Gilbert! We got to go fast soon as possible!"

Gilbert grinned, nodding. "Ready when you are!"

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><p>Kiku fans don't hurt me! I've been reading -LOTS- of AmePan focused around the A-Bomb lately so the curse is kind of this world's version of that. Alfred did do it on accident trying to use magic like Arthur. Now! As a reminder I'd -LOVE- input on whether to do FRussia and LietPol or FrUK and RusLiet. It will come into play next chapter but either way when Francis and Arthur are introduced they'll be a couple and Toris will be featured working at the bar. It'll mostly effect how the four characters will interact and how their side stories will play out. Also, encase this chapter didn't make it obvious I'm also poking fun at RP games like Zelda. Seriously! Even the smallest thing it feels like the hero has to go on an hour long miniquest to get it! Don't worry, Ludwig will be happy by the end of the story. So I should be going to bed for school tomorrow. XD Until the next chapter!<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

I'm so sorry this took so long. I got writer's block on what to do then I had a big hit of inspiration yesterday! I know I said they would reach the tavern/inn this chapter but this ended up 1000 words longer than the last chapter and I just didn't feel comfortable going any other further. I...got really deep in here. BTW, on what I said on Feliks (I'm sorry that I misspelled his name last chapter. There's two or three different ways to spell it but I used the wrong one.)...seriously! Am I the only one who's noticed how much Poland and Switzerland look alike? Plus they both have at least a bit of German. Am I the only one that wouldn't be surprised if it was announced they were brothers? It freaked me out when I noticed because on top of Russia I cosplay Switzerland...and no offense but I'm not a very big fan of Poland.

Anyways! Thank you for your patience! Oh! I almost forgot! Thanks to CosmicKitten89 for suggesting giving the warlock a Serbian name. The main purpose of his quick appearance in this chapter is to name him and give you all a better idea of what he looks like. Speaking of that I have a DA account under the same name where I've done a picture of the warlock. You can find it just by searching my username; I tag all my works with it. Sorry for the rambling. I promise they'll reach the village next chapter!

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><p>"You sure this is it, Gilbert?"<p>

"Would the awesome me lie?"

Vash frowned, looking at the house. It wasn't cozy but still not as big as his house and seemed moderately decorated. Slowly, the ranger knocked on the door. It felt like forever they were waiting when it was only a few minutes as the door flung open, a brunette man with green eyes beaming.

"Gilbert! Ah. And who's your friend?"

"This is Vash. Hey! Feliciano said you stole a dress recently. We need it to bribe Feliks for some horses."

"Ah! Sure! Come on in! I need to go look for it." The cheerful man quickly took off, leaving the pair alone.

Vash sighed, shaking his head. "He'd better hurry. We don't have time for this! We need to get to Euranova Village."

"Relax. Only way he'll take forever is being distracted by Feliciano's brother, Lovino, and he's working on your weapons right now."

As they waited, Vash realized something. Antonio….Antonio. That name and face seemed familiar. Wait a minute? "Gilbert….isn't that…ki-"

He was cut off, a hand quickly covering his mouth. "Sh. Don't. Yes, that is but he doesn't remember that. Somehow all he remembers is me, Francis, and Lovino. Vash…he's happier like this. Everyone is. As sad as that may seem I'd rather see my best friends happy in a lie than depressed in the truth. So please, Vash. Keep quiet around him."

The blonde frowned, nodding slowly. "Alright. Not like there's anything to gain from it."

They waited for Antonio before he finally came back, holding a dress that looked like it was once owned by a noble woman with all the soft pink lace. The tunic on the top part looked like purple velvet with a gold trim. Surely it would get them the three horses they needed! "Thanks, Antonio. We'll be on our way now."

"Alright. Gilbert, please tell my little Lovino I say hello!"

"Will do, later!"

As the duo walked off for Feliks' house. Vash frowned, unable to help his mind from moving back…back to that day.

"_So…you're getting married?" It was that day five years ago…the day his heart was broken into a million pieces._

"_Prince Antonio needs it to save his people. They're in serious trouble and joining a kingdom is their only hope…the easiest and best way to do that is a royal wedding. You…will be there, right? You're…my best friend, Vash."_

_Best friend…he supposed that's all he'd ever be! Vash had only given up everything he had to be here! To be given a high enough status that someday it could be –him- marrying Roderich! Of course the prince knew nothing of his feelings but that was why he gave up his freedom as a mercenary to be a knight! So he could be a knight and possibly climb the ranks enough to be accepted as a husband to the prince! But…here he was. Vash could almost feel his heart shattering like the most fragile of glass but he kept on the same neutral face as ever. "…I'm resigning as a knight."_

_Roderich jumped, eyes going wide. "What! Wh-why? Where will you even go?"_

"_A place I can be alone! The way I used to be before you talked me into all this! To live a simple, solitary life until the end of my days." He had given up everything…all for nothing. Never again._

"Vash? Vash!"

The blonde jumped, looking at Gilbert. "Huh?"

"You feeling alright? You were really out of it there."

"I-I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be!"

"Come on! Don't be so unawesome! You were thinking about when Roderich was married to Antonio, weren't you? Kessekessekesse! You're –so- obvious! You love him, don't you?"

Vash glared, whole face burning red with a mixture of rage and embarrassment. "O-of course I don't! We were friends! Nothing more!"

"Of course you two were. You know he was going to leave Antonio for you once he got back on his feet, right?"

"He…was what?"

"Yeah! The awesome me over heard him crying about it after you took off! That marriage was all to help Antonio out! Roderich had his heart set on marrying you since you two met! Why do you think he pushed so hard for you to become a knight? Why he constantly helped you climbed the ranks? But after you left he just fell apart and gave up on being in love. All the marriages after that were out of duty or arranged and the moment that one fell apart he was pushed into another. He's a king, Vash. Once he enters a marriage he's expected to be married until someone else takes over for him."

No….no! If that was true Roderich would have said something! "I won't believe your lies! It's all his own fault! And before you go on about it I'm doing this for our kingdom, not for him!" That was all! Vash had given up on being with that weak, stupid, delicate…beautiful…no! He wasn't going down that road ever again! His heart had been damaged enough and all in one blow!

rrrrrrrrrr

The warlock gave a growl, gazing into the swirling mass of magic. This wasn't possible! Furious, he spun around to his captive, midnight blue robes with a gold trim flowing around him. "You! What did you do? He shouldn't have known about that village or the berries before your damn cousins told him!"

Roderich groaned. He didn't sleep last night so he could contact Vash and he was still drained from the combination.

"Answer me!"

Slowly the king raised his head, a tiny smirk on his lips. "Wouldn't you like to know…Vukasin?"

Vukasin gave another growl, tempted to just make the man burn alive right now! But no…he needed him. "Do not think you have won! Your precious knight is still venerable without those weapons! Being with a paladin will save him for only so long. How long do you think Gilbert will be able to continuing channeling the light knowing his little Matthew might be on death's door from my curse? You cannot win this, Roderich! You might as well just sit back and watch your kingdom fall to ruins!"

"No…I'd rather go down fighting than just let you bring my people to ruins."

"Big talk for a small man. Fine. Go ahead and go down in a struggle. It'll be more fun for me taking out your people one by one. Their last moments being their deepest sorrows."

vvvvvvvvvv

This….had to be wrong! The place looks like a girl's dream cottage! Well, maybe ranch was a better word with the pen full of horses and ponies. "You sure this is the place?"

"Yeah. The bribe is a dress, remember? Feliks is…very eccentric." The albino gave a shrug, knocking on the door.

"Coming!"

Ugh! Did a guy really live here? Maybe he was just married or had a sister and spoiled them a lot. Yeah…he never thought of that possibility. That thought left at once when he saw the door was answered. The main thing that freaked him out was the person that answered the door looked like he could be his long lost brother! Well, if one ignored the elegant red dress that looked fit for a noble the man was wearing.

"Gilbert! Like, what a totally pleasant surprised. Ah! Let me guess! Vash, right? How cute! You're totally off to save the king and, like, sweep him off his feet, right? You're here to, like, borrow one of my horses to complete the whole prince charming thing, right? Well, I'm totally not one to just part with one of my babies but since it's, like, for love and all I may be persuaded."

Vash's face burned again with rage and embarrassment. First off all what was wrong with this guy and second why did everyone talk like he was doing all this because he loved Roderich? Wait… "I do you know about what's going on?"

"Oh, right. You've been a total recluse the past, like, five years or so. It's been like this for, like, a month now, I think. No word from the king and queen most of us totally figured out something must be up. And then those nasty wolves started showing up! That and Ludwig was totally there when it happened and Feliciano told me. I totally can't blame him for being bummed; he failed to protect the king. Not like he could do anything about it, though."

Ludwig…was there? If pure might was nothing against what was causing this of course he was just as powerless as the queen. But then…who wouldn't feel down knowing they failed not just the one person above them but someone that was their own flesh and blood? That was it! He was helping Ludwig before they left! Determined, Vash quickly took the dress out of his bag, almost shoving it in Feliks' arms. "There's the payment for the horses! I need three of them now! I don't have time for this! I need to save the kingdom!"

"Of course. Like, totally for the kingdom." Feliks took a moment to admire the dress before folding it up and setting it aside on a table need the door before quickly leading them to the stables. "Remember, I'm, like, only letting you borrow them." He went into the stables, coming out with a gray horse with a lovely dark mane, a chestnut colored horse with a golden blond mane, and…and a horse that looked pure white! "I don't usually let people borrow Snowflake but what's a hero without a white horse?"

Well, whatever. They had the horses! "Thanks, Feliks. Not sure when we'll be back but we'll be sure to return the horses." Knowing he wasn't getting out of it, Vash grabbed the reins of white horse, Gilbert already jumping on the gray and deciding to help out but hanging on the chestnut horse. They quickly made their way back to Ludwig's, Vash not hesitating to open the door and startling everyone.

Just as he thought! Ludwig was still sulking. "Kiku, get your stuff packed and ready. The chestnut horse is yours. Feliciano, if you could help him." The two seemed confused but didn't argue as the ranger sat down at the table, frowning at once great knight before him. "Ludwig, Feliks told me. Queen Elizabeta was powerless against this foe. You're lucky that you survived. There is nothing anyone can do. If you really want to make a difference in this war against the darkness you need to get over this so you can use the light!"

Ludwig looked surprised, slowly looking up from the table. "…the queen is safe?"

"How do you think I found out about all this at first? The darkness apparently hasn't reached my home yet. But she told me she was just as powerless against it as everyone else. So stop acting like you're the only one in your position! If anything think of Feliciano! He might not be able to keep this up. You may think he's the stronger one right now but I think he needs you now more than ever. He's worried about you. If nothing else do it for him."

"…Feliciano…"

Ve? What is it, Ludwig?"

The pair turned in surprise, not noticing that Feliciano and Kiku were already back. Though Vash still noticed the look in the knight's eyes were like he'd never seen the healer before as he ran over and hugged him, startling the brunette.

"Ah! Lu-Ludwig! Are you alright? Do you have a fever?"

"I'm sorry. I've been placing such a burden on you and I only made it worse for you only thinking of my feelings on the matter." Ludwig pulled back, a determined look on his face that somehow seemed to make the air in the room feel lighter. "Alright! No more! It's going to be just us again for a while so we're going to be training hard to help fight back this evil!"

Feliciano beamed, looking about ready to bounce up and down like an over excited child. "That's the Ludwig I know! It's so great to see you back to your old self! Oh! Before I forget!" The healer took off for a moment before coming back with a sword as well as a bow and a bunch of arrows. "I know you're used to a crossbow but we Lovino didn't have what he needed to make one. I promise you, this is just as good, though."

The former mercenary slowly took the weapons; they looked heavy but felt light as air as he strapped them on. "Thank you. The three of us should get going now. You all watch out and take care."

"Ve! Same to you all! Remember; two berries a day."

xxxxxxxxxx

It felt like hours they were riding around though having to take down the occasional wolf pack didn't help. Vash was amazed how swift and speedy his new bow was but even more so that while his regular sword had been useless with his skills in archery the most arrows he ended up having to use on one wolf were three. Eventually they had to rest for the night, Vash remembering the berries for Kiku as Gilbert carefully set up a makeshift camp and watched out for anything that wanted blood.

It was then Vash noticed the raven haired man was shaking not from cold but because he was sobbing. "What is it? Changing your mind?"

The other slowly looked at him, eyes hard to read behind his mask. "I just…worry. What if…what if he's found someone else? Alfred is the whole reason I stayed in this kingdom…the reason I stopped hiding away up until…until this happened. If he's moved on…what do I have?"

The blond held back a frown. It felt like every word the other spoke made the air around them darker. "…if he's moved on he's not worth your time. If that is the case…all you can do is find something else to do with your life."

"…you mean like you did?"

The words felt like a dagger to his heart. How true those words were. "Yeah. And I've been just fine living my life like that."

"Just fine? But that doesn't mean you're happy. I…don't wish my heart to freeze. I am what my people call a monk, or at least I was. I heal the body through the spirit but…I lack that right now for my own spirit is tainted though I can still sense these things. Your heart has been shattered so you thought you could repair it by freezing it and kept it that way fearing if it were to melt it would fall apart again. You've kept yourself isolated to the point you were ignorant to the troubles of the world around you. You thought you were preventing more damage but you failed to heal it. If you don't heal the wound already there sure it's hard to do much worse damage but at the same time you cripple the wound."

Now that was pushing too far! Where was all that even coming from! "Don't talk like you know! You ran away from your problem! I sacrificed everything before I finally realized it was all for nothing. Did you even think of staying?"

"…I did. But my presence was only a burden on him. Alfred spent every waking moment trying to find a way to cure me and every time I was in the same room as him his eyes held nothing but guilt. If I stayed I would have been slowly killing him."

"…he'll still be waiting for you when we get there, Kiku. If all that is true he's probably still looking if he hasn't found it. Now get some sleep. You need your rest."

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><p>Yeah...I don't know how that happened with Kiku. It just did and it felt very right. Also for some reason writing this has lead to me replaying Twilight Princess which in turn made me realize just why I did. I will say it has inspired something that will show up next chapter. ^^ I wonder how many will catch it. Well, see you then!<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Yay! I finished Chapter 5! I'm so sorry this took so long. I'm letting you guys know now: I plan on this story being -LONG-. Like, I'm aiming for at least 15 chapters. And I'm also aiming for the chapters to slowly get longer. It's meant to be like an epic journey kind of fantasy. The tavern/inn is going to be the very important to the heroes from this point on like a meeting place/safe haven for them. Also there's hints of past MPreg in this chapter as well as FACE family. For those that don't know that stands for France America Canada and England. The four are going to be a family with Francis as the mother in this story. All will be explained on that in this chapter. But I ramble. Enjoy it!

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><p>The moment dawn broke the three packed up, Vash making sure Kiku ate a berry before they headed out. No sooner were they about to mount their horses did the ranger hear a bark, jumping as he snatched his sword. His eyes went wide at the sight before him. It was a wolf but….it had golden fur and its eyes…Vash got lost for a moment, thinking about how much they looked like Roderich's.<p>

Gilbert grinned, rushing over and petting the wolf. Much to Vash's surprised it acted like a dog. "Hey, Nuntis! What are you doing out here? It's alright, Vash. He's actually surprisingly tame. He showed up at the tavern about two months ago. Just walked right up to Francis."

Much to his surprise, Kiku gave a smile. "I remember. It was a week before I got cursed. So Francis named him? I think it suits him. Hm. He still has that strange energy about him then again he's pretty one-of-kind being a blonde wolf that wonders around villages in the middle of the day. On top of that…does he still have a…healthy appetite for vegetables?"

The albino laughed, nodding. "Yeah. I still think it was a noble's pet that was abandoned. Their lost! Hey, Nuntis, we're heading to the inn! Want to come with us?"

The wolf barked, wagging its tail as if it understood. Vash decided it was better just to go with it in this matter since even Kiku was comfortable. With that the trio took off, the wolf running around them and seeming to keep an eye out of danger. The village was just in sight when they heard a scream coming from a field. Before any of them could react, the wolf took off in the direction.

Gilbert drew his sword, glaring. "That was Francis! Come on!"

It was only a few more minutes that they reached the field that seemed to be full of enchanted fruits and vegetables. There was no other way they could be surviving! But what Vash's focus was on was Nuntis, growling at a few shadow wolves as he stood between them and….was that a man? The person lying on the ground seemed frail but with a beauty that shinned through their worn and stained powdered blue shirt and ragged reddish-brown pants they wore. Were it not for a bit of stubble on the golden blonde's chin, Vash would have thought him a woman dressed as a man. But that wasn't what mattered right now! What mattered was the strange man was passed out!

Vash jumped off his horse, sword drawn. Before he could even raise his sword, Nuntis lunged forward at one of the wolves and the former knight was forced to jump back slightly as it seemed to burst into a cloud an smoke and disappear. The strange wolf then glared and growled at the others who thought better of it and took off toward the nearest woods.

Gilbert put his sword away, rushing over to the man and shaking him. "Francis? Francis!"

The man groaned, eyes slowly opening, first thing he saw was Nuntis. "Nuntis?" Slowly he got up, noticing the others. "Oh. Gilbert. Merci. I thought I was a goner there."

The albino rolled his eyes, giving his friend a scolding look. "How many times have you gone on about being 'a lover not a fighter'? You shouldn't be out here alone!"

"I thought it would be safe because the sun was up. Besides, with Arthur busy and Alfred watching over Matthew…well, what could I do? I couldn't ask Toris to stand watch or help gather the crops; he's strong but too timid."

The air seemed to get dark around the group at that, Gilbert frowning. "…how is Birdie?"

"One moment. I need to get some more vegetables to cook up some soup for him." Francis smiled, looking down at the wolf. "And I got some nice fennel and turnips for you today, Nuntis."

The wolf barked, wagging his tail again. Francis moved quickly to fill a basket he had with him, the trio and the wolf following after him as he entered an inn. It was as he put the basket on a counter inside that he seemed to come to his senses. "Oh! How rude of me! I haven't introduced myself to the two of you! Francis Bonnefoy! It is a pleasure!"

"Vash. Nice to meet you."

Kiku stayed quiet for a moment before finally speaking up. "…how is Alfred?"

Francis seemed surprised before giving a smile. "Kiku? Excuse me; I couldn't see your face. Like I said earlier, he's with his brother. Gilbert, you know where it is. I really should get to work on this. Arthur thinks maybe his enchantments on the garden might be of help."

Gilbert took off, Kiku following slowly behind, Vash and Nuntis staying behind. The former couldn't help but notice how the latter seemed to behave almost like a trained guard dog for Francis but with no danger around seemed an average pet. "I…have something that might help." Remembering, he gently put the extra bag of berries by the basket.

The taller blonde starred at it for a moment before opening the bag. "…sapphire berries? Ah!" Francis moved at the speed of light and soon he was cooking something with the berries in a pan. "I can't tell you how perfect this is! I've heard about how useful these berries are especially when combined with other berries but they don't do well in farms, even ones with enchantments and it's not safe to go looking for a bush. I can't thank you enough. What brings you here anyways?"

"…I know it's hard to believe but King Roderich sent me. He told me to help the people of this village before I rush off any further north."

To Vash's own surprise, Francis didn't seem too shocked by it. "Ah! But of course! He contacted you with magic, oui? You know they say you can have sex while using that kind of spell and it even feels just like the real thing. Have you tried? Arthur and I tried once…not sure what went wrong but I'm still having nightmares about it."

He must have been hearing things! He was saving the kingdom! Sex, especially with Roderich, was the last thing on his mind! "Of course I haven't! I'm on a mission to save the kingdom! That kind of thing is the last thing on my mind!"

Francis shrugged at that, moving his cooking onto a plate and whispering something in the wolf's ear whom quickly took off. "It's a shame. You look like you could use it and goodness knows the king could probably use it. They say he has yet to lay with his queen. Anyways if you're to help the people here I would start with Victor. The poor man started showing up every night a month ago. He…always seems so sad." The ranger couldn't help but notice the other's hopeful eyes turned sad with maybe just a bit of longing as his voice cracked slightly as if trying to hide that pain.

"I think he's from up north, non…I'm sure of it. He's always seems so troubled and clouded with darkness. Maybe you could help him. I got him talking but he always dances around what makes him so upset."

Well, Vash wasn't blind! He may have closed his own heart to love but the man in front of him was obvious! "…you care about him?"

"…perhaps I do but I have a happy family with Arthur. Most in this town would say I am a…free lover but not when I commit myself to someone. Any feelings I have for Victor doesn't matter…my heart belongs to Arthur. Yes…I desire at least one night with that man but for me with such things the heart must be involved and I can only give it to one person. To divide the heart is to break the heart."

Now that was just stupid! The solution seemed obvious. "If you care about Victor why not take back your heart and give it to him?"

Francis sighed at that, frowning. "I wish it were so simple. As much as I crave it I can't get my heart to stop loving my little Iggy. I would love to give Victor my heart, to take away that loneness in his eyes…but Arthur came first and, thanks to one of his spell experiments, I have two sons with him. My heart could never let me walk away from that and I'm a man that follows his heart."

The pair heard a small whine, looking around to see Nuntis tightly sealed jug held carefully in his mouth. Francis quickly walked over, taking it from him. "Thank you, Nuntis. You are such a good boy. A little sweet sap from a sugar thorn bush is just the thing to finish this off." The man seemed to forget the talk from a moment ago, opening it and pouring a golden brown liquid on the food he'd cooked.

Vash on the other hand noticed a strange change in the wolf that was now next to him. While perky and excited up to the point he was now laying down, eyes looking like he'd been kicked in the chest. Could the dog understand what had been said and was upset over Francis' situation? It was one thing to have your heart broken but another to be stuck in place with your heart wanting to go to two different people. Though…Vash supposed the other blonde had a point; Arthur had a place in his heart first and they apparently had a family together.

But…then there was what Gilbert has said the day before: 'As sad as that may seem I'd rather see my best friends happy in a lie than depressed in the truth'. Was he hinting that Francis was also living in a lie? Antonio was one thing; there was no joy for him if he stopped living his lie. Francis surely would still have his children if anything. Why was he even thinking about this? He had no important things to focus on! "So, you sure that will help him?"

"But of course it will! I know my way around the kitchen so well some call me a cooking wizard. That combined with a few ingredients that actually have magic and…well, he should at least perk up."

As Francis grabbed the food and Vash followed the latter realized something…something that seemed very off. "If you don't mind me asking…how is it that Gilbert is dating one of your sons? You don't seem old enough to have any children he could date."

The taller man sighed at that. "That would be Arthur's doing once again. Experimenting with magic and next thing we knew our babies were teenagers. Oh, the years that spell made me miss. And worse yet Alfred is indeed Arthur's son except he's not content to being living like this. Always going on about going on adventures and being a hero. I honestly have no idea where he gets it from. I used to be an adventurer myself but I never had his drive to be a hero."

From the sounds of things it was a mystery anyone in the family kept on experimenting with magic. But what was important right now was the matter at hand. They reached the topped of a flight of wooden stairs where the taller blond pushed opened the door. On the other side he noticed Gilbert holding the hand of a young man laying in a bed. The man, face flushed with fever, looked a lot like Francis except for a stray hair that curled upward and looped in one spot.

It was strange seeing Gilbert actually so worried and caring to anyone that wasn't his brother. The former paladin usually went out of his way to look like a real hotshot and often gloated that he was 'too awesome' for love. But here he was, clearly wishing he could switch places with the young man on the bed. Slowly he looked up, eyes normally full of confidence and pride now brimming with sorrow. "You really think those berries are going to help?"

What could he say to that? He didn't know much of magic. "King Roderich said it would. That makes it his best shot." If anyone would know…it would be Roderich. Vash trusted in that.

The albino frowned but gave a nod, gently shaking the young blonde awake. "Hey, Birdie. Pancakes."

Matthew groaned, slowly opening his eyes to show they were a bluish-purple. "Pancakes?" Gilbert helped him slowly sit up which seemed to take a lot of effort.

"…Francis. You mind if I?" Gilbert slowly looked up at his friend, eyes almost pleading.

"Of course. Where did Kiku go?"

"Took off somewhere with Alfred. I think they went to his room."

Francis smiled, giving a nod as he passed the food to Gilbert. "Vash? Would you like to meet my other son?"

It was clear what he was hinting so Vash gave a nod, leaving the room with him.

"I do hope those berries work. Matthew has always been a little light in our lives since the day he was born. To see him like this…it feels like the whole village is under a dark fog that cannot be lifted. I don't know whether to find it funny or sad: he's always so invisible to everyone but me, Alfred, and Gilbert and yet being so sick like this…it almost feels like the whole village is mourning the thought of losing him."

Vash frowned. To be invisible until there was trouble was a sad but he'd noticed something in his words. "What of Arthur?"

"Hm? Oh. He…he does forget him sometimes but it's not uncommon for Arthur to forget the world around him for days at a time. Matthew has always been very shy and timid while Alfred is a bit of an…attention seeker. Sometimes I wonder if Alfred is the only reason Arthur remembers he has a life outside his magic. I'm not complaining, though…I understand very well. What he's doing now is trying find a way to dispel the shadows around us. What is his family compared to the entire kingdom? In troubled times we all must make sacrifices for the greater good. I'm sure he'll make it up to me when this is all over."

The ranger frowned, listening to his words. Was he making excuses or would this Arthur really do that? It was hard to tell without having ever met the man. He put on his usual neutral face as Francis opened the door, causing Kiku and blonde with him to jump slightly. The man with Kiku had short, slightly shaggy hair, with a curl that seemed to defy gravity on the right side of his forehead. He also had glasses framing his blue eyes.

"Ah! You must be Vash!" The young man jumped up, grabbing both of Vash's hands and shaking them to hard he thought his arms were going to fall off. "Dude! I can't thank you enough! Kiku told me about how you helped him get home." Kiku opened his mouth to say something but was quickly cut off. "I know what you're going to say. Come on! This place is your home, Kiku!"

Suddenly the energetic man paled, looking behind Vash and Francis. "What's that mutt doing here? Mom! I'm telling you! That wolf gives me the creeps! He's not natural!"

Francis sighed, shaking his head. "You should be nicer to Nuntis. He just saved my life."

Suddenly there was the sound of a yelp and metal falling on wood. Vash turned his head to see a very nervous and shaking looking young man. He had shoulder length brown hair in a low ponytail, and deep green eyes that wouldn't move from Nuntis. From the mop and bucket at his feet as well as the yellow apron he wore it was clear he most likely was working for the tavern. "Nu-Nuntis…"

Alfred grumbled, still glaring at said wolf. "You see? Even Toris knows that wolf is bad news!"

Francis frowned, looking at a bit hurt at them. "You know Toris' past well enough, Alfred. He's just still a little jumpy. It's alright, Toris. Just go back to cleaning up downstairs."

The brunette seemed terrified of the idea of having to go around the wolf, picking the mop and bucket back up. As he moved, hugging himself against the railing Vash noticed Nuntis looking out the ground and giving a whimper.

How clever was this wolf? Maybe Alfred was right…Nuntis was clearly no ordinary wolf. Here was an animal that could understand when someone loved him and when his presence caused someone distressed. The former mercenary couldn't help but feel bad for him. He was so focused on the wolf he hadn't noticed the door to Alfred's room was now closed and Toris gone until a sigh from Francis broke his thoughts.

"Don't take pity on Nuntis, Vash. It only makes him sadder. I truly think he's an abandoned pet with how he reacts around others. He senses fear and anger directed towards him and almost seems to cry. It only breaks my heart even more knowing someone could have just tossed him aside. All I can do is make him feel wanted and let him know how thankful I am for watching me. He is like a guardian angel even if no one else can see that. You must be exhausted from your journey here. The room to the left of Alfred's is available. I'm going to give Nuntis some food and a bath. If you don't wake up by the time Victor comes tonight I'll have Toris wake you up."

Now that he thought about it he was tired. It wasn't from sleeping outdoors on the ground but from having to keep his guard up at night and spend half the night keeping watch. Vash honestly was curious about Toris but he decided that could wait until later. "Thank you. I think some rest will do me good." The ranger gave a small bow before entering the room. It was simple. A wooden bed with a feather mattress and blanket, a dresser, and a desk with a lantern on it. Well, it was free and he'd had much worse sleeping conditions before. Vash sighed, stripping down to his pants. It felt like no sooner had he hit the bed that he fell asleep, mind racing and body exhausted from all that had happened in such a short time.

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><p>Those of you that have already figured out Nuntis cookie or pocky for you! Those of you that haven't don't worry, my cowriter had to be told about the deal with Nuntis and she knows a lot of my planned background with this. Also I'm trying not to make Arthur look like a jerk right now. He honestly is working hard trying to figure out how to fight the dark warlock. Also I hope you all won't frown on Alfred for being so cruel to Nuntis. Most see something so different from the norm, like Nuntis is, and see it as either a good omen or a bad. Francis has simply taken him as a good omen while Alfred is unsettled by it. As for Toris...if you don't know what the deal is there I'm trying to squeeze in his story in this world which will explain why he's jumpy around Nuntis. Until then!<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry this took so long. My cowriter was -SUPPOSE- to give approval of two key points in this chapter but after two weeks I decided 'f*** it!'. I've left you guys waiting long enough. Speaking of you, my readers, my stats for the story have taken quite a turn. Normally my second highest amount of readers is Canada but since I posted Ch 5 they have been pushed down to fourth! Apparent you guys in Sweden and Austria really love this story and I thank you! For those of you reading this in Sweden I can promise you Berwald will at least make an appearance in this story. And...I hope you won't hate me for a small statement made about his kingdom in this chapter.

I can't think of anything else to say in advanced. Enjoy

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><p>Vash groaned, slowly opening his eyes as he hurt a tapping sound. Had he been that tired? Slowly he sat up, looking towards the door. It must have been Toris. "I'm up." The ranger sighed, gathering his things and getting dressed. He was surprised when he opened the door to see Toris still there.<p>

"So-sorry, Mr. Vash. Mr. Bonnefoy is waiting for you downstairs. I'll get started on cleaning your room at once."

Before the blonde could protest or ask questions, the nervous man quickly moved passed him with some cleaning supplies and closed the door. Vash sighed, deciding to go downstairs and headed for the bar area of the tavern where Francis was. Like any tavern it was busy right now but he still managed to squeeze into a seat next to Kiku with room on his other side. Well, he saw Kiku and Alfred…but not Gilbert or Matthew. "Where's Gilbert?"

Francis sighed, sliding a bubbling, orange drink down the counter to a waiting hand at the other end of the bar. "If the berries are working they're working slowly. He came down, got drunk, and is passed out in his room right now. So. Now that you're rested I'm sure you're very curious. Ask away and I'll answer the best I can."

Finally! It felt like forever since he'd gotten any answers when it hadn't even been a week. Where to begin? "What's the story with Toris?"

The bartender sighed, giving a sad smile. "You hear of Prince Ivan in the north? Toris used to work for him. He caught the prince's eye and anyone that knows him knows what that means. They say Ivan is a monster of a man who doesn't understand love so anyone that somehow stirs his heart is doomed. I've also heard he's possessive of all he loves like a child a toy…and that that's how he treats them, a toy. How Toris escaped he won't tell me but the scars I once saw on his back are enough to make anyone believe it."

Francis sighed again, shaking his head. "Still…I'm curious about that prince. It's one thing to not have love but to not understand it…how cold his life must be. Gilbert is actually a victim of that as well. You heard how he was a prisoner of the north for a time? Then, Prince Ivan simply let him go back to his family. Regardless his lands are in darkness now. I'm sorry, I started rambling on. Just feels like that whole kingdom is s-…oh."

Vash blinked, following the taller man's gaze to his left. The former mercenary was shocked he had just noticed! Standing next to the bar now was a man twice if not three times his size! He was well hidden in a tan cloak and faint pink scarf but he could still make out a bit of light, almost platinum blonde hair and violet eyes…eyes that he could have sworn he'd seen before. "You shouldn't spread rumors like that." Despite the scarf covering his mouth, his voice came out clear but sounded almost like it would be better suited for a child. "Rumors like that don't help me fit in here. Everyone's frightened of me as is."

The tavern owner frowned, clearly sadden by that thought. "I'm sorry, Victor. Honestly, I think if it's true your prince can't be all that bad since he allowed Gilbert and Toris to leave. That poor man. I can only imagine how lonely he must be up there right now; surrounded by darkness in that huge, empty palace. I wouldn't think him weak if he cried himself to sleep every night. A life without love is…"

Alfred groaned, looking very embarrassed. "Great. Here he goes again."

"A life without love is like a life without the sun!"

"Mom."

"Like a heart without a beat!"

"Mom!"

"It's like a co-"

"MOM!" Alfred had to slam his hands on the wooden counter to finally get his 'mother' to stop his rant.

Still, Victor chuckled, seeming very amused by the scene. "You are certainly educated in love, Mr. Bonnefoy. Sometimes I forget how much."

Francis chuckled, his cheeks turning just slightly pink in a blush. "I told you, you can call me Francis. I take it you still haven't made any friends here yet, then?"

The frown on the other man was clear in his eyes as he reached out a gloved hand to pull his scarf higher up as if hoping to disappear in it. "Ny-nyet. Most are too intimated still."

"Well, why don't you try talking to Vash here? Excuse me a moment. Alfred. Could you check on your father really quick? And Kiku, would you mind helping me do some dishes really fast? It's hard keeping enough clean plates around with Matthew sick." With that, he disappeared into another room, Kiku following him and Alfred going behind the stairs to what Vash assumed was a cellar.

These two were such a puzzle to him. They seemed to be flirting slightly and yet at the same time they were pushing each other away. "…you like him?"

Victor gave a sad sigh. "That obvious? Francis…is a sunflower in a field of weeds. He is an angel in this mass of darkness. Sometimes when he walks I swear he's floating. But…he is not mine. It would be cruel to expect him to leave Arthur to run into my arms. Besides…I can't give him my heart either. What is the point in trying?"

And people thought he was pathetic about Roderich. Not that he was! "The point is to be happy. Francis worries about you and wants you to be happy. H-"

"He wants to take away my loneness…I know. But he can't. No one can."

What was with these two! The longing was so obvious between them! "And why not? Francis seems more than happy to help."

The large man sighed, eyes looking very sad. "If I tell you will you stop this?"

"It depends on what it is. I came to this village to help people and I told Francis I'd try to start with you."

"…I can't because I'm cursed. My father is a warlock that thinks that love is a weakness. I'm his only son so he wanted me to be a strong fighter. All he wants is for me to be powerful to the point he trained me since I can remember. So…he placed a curse on my heart. I can't love because when I do I hurt them. So you see, Vash…I can never love Francis. To love Francis would mean I'd be doomed to hurt him."

… lovers hurt by his own hands, from the north, only son, violet eyes…it…couldn't be. "…Prince Ivan?"

He tensed, starring at the small man with wide eyes. "Pl-please. Don't tell anyone. Not even Francis. The world outside my kingdom thinks me a monster. So…you understand now, da? Even if we wanted to the two of us stand no chance in love. I'm a prince and him a tavern owner, I'm cursed to never love and he…he might as well be married to Arthur. We are from two very different worlds. It would take too much pain and suffering for us to be together. I…I would rather be miserable than make the world miserable."

Vash couldn't help the look of total disbelief on his face. This couldn't be the brutal, ruthless Prince Ivan of the north! He was a selfless teddy bear! Not a blood thirsty beast! "…how did you escape? Your kingdom is in darkness."

"I'm...not sure. I fought off that warlock that dares to call himself a man so that as many people in my kingdom as possible could escape. In my palace Toris was the last to leave; it took a lot to convince him to take his brothers and go. As he left...there a bright flash of light and suddenly all those shadow monsters were gone. Then...then he appeared. He tried to grab me but I saw that light again and he couldn't get near me. But…he found a way and I had to run. A voice in my head screamed for me to run…so I did."

The former mercenary was confused, processing it all. Ivan had survived staying behind to protect one person while Roderich was captured with him and all his knights and wizards protecting the kingdom. There had to be more to the story than that!

"…I think I know what's on your mind. I'm sorry I don't have an answer for that. Maybe he'd rather capture a king than a prince. Or perhaps my kingdom was just a stepping stone for him. I won't pretend I know him well enough to say why but…I do know someone who can help."

"And you're just now telling me this! Who!"

"To the north of here and the west of my kingdom is another kingdom. There is a very wise young ma-"

Suddenly the whole tavern seemed to shake as an explosion came from the cellar, Alfred quickly running out of it followed by a man with short, shaggy blonde hair, green eyes, and very thick eyebrows. It didn't take a genius to figure out the man must have been Arthur. "You damn bloody git! I told you not to touch that!"

Francis quickly came out of the kitchen, a very serious look on his face as their son hid behind him. "Arthur! You shouldn't yell at him like that! He was just trying to help! Mon dieu, what is wrong with you? He's still just a boy."

"He's not a boy, Francis! He's a young man! He just refuses to grow up because you're clinging to the boys being your little babies!"

"Because they aren't young men! They're still children! He only looks this old because of you and you're stupid magic!"

"If they're children why the bloody hell are you letting them date grown men?"

"Oh, and I'm suppose to have them wait another ten years! You have any idea how old they'd look by then? And all because of your stupid experiments!"

"My stupid experiments are the reason they were even born!"

Somehow most of the tavern was still carrying on like it was normal. Did they fight this much? That was when something else caught his attention. Turning his head, Vash's eyes went wide to see Matthew struggling with great determination to get down the stairs from his room to his parents.

"Stop it. Please…stop." Even though his voice came out as faint as a mouse the pair both froze, turning towards him.

Francis frowned, looking at him very worried.. "Matthew, you aren't well. You should be in bed resting."

"You two…were fighting again. I-I couldn't…"

Vash jumped to his feet, realizing Matthew was paling and swaying as he let go of the railing of the stairs. That was when something shot by him and he was surprised to see it was Ivan who managed to catch him just as he was slipping.

The tavern owner breathed a sigh of relief, rushing over. "Thank you, Victor. Would you mind taking him back to his room?"

"Not at all." The prince in disguise carefully lifted the young man, easily taking him back upstairs as everyone else breathed a sigh of relief.

Well, almost everyone else. "I can't believe you trust a strange foreigner alone with one of our sons! And one from the north at that! You know both kingdoms north of us are a bunch of blood thirsty, psychopathic brutes! And one is alone with our little Matthew!"

Francis glared as Arthur yelled. "He is not a blood thirsty psychopath! You of all people shouldn't judge, Arthur! After all, isn't that the reason you moved here from the south? Being judged by ignorance!"

Vash froze, trying to keep his shock from showing. He knew what Francis was talking about: The Great Magic Wars. A few also called it the Holy Wars. Some called it the reason Antonio's kingdom fell others believed the kingdom being near collapse was the cause. Antonio had always been more interested in his garden than ruling the kingdom, or so the rumors said. With no one else to take the burden of king he decided to be more a figure head. Being friends with a great Paladin he trusted them highly and had his head Paladin rule behind the scenes.

But the man was corrupt. He secretly was trying to pull the people's favor away from Antonio by letting the kingdom fall to pieces and pouring honey in the king's ears saying all was well. Then, just as the kingdom was about to fall to ruin, the Paladin jumped from the shadows. He declared that all their problems were for all that used magic that wasn't a Priest or Paladin, that their magic was the dark blessing of demons. He used fear to grab the kingdom by the throat. Several witches and wizards fled to other kingdoms and some Priests and Paladins even risked their lives to save as many as they could.

Antonio knew he had no power and it was his own fault so he turned to the closest kingdom, Roderich's. It was a long, taxing war even with other kingdoms trying to aid Antonio through Roderich. Five years was a short time when you looked at it in terms of a person's life but in terms of war it was far too long. It had been the last time Vash really fought for Roderich and he had been there when Gilbert had taken down the corrupt Paladins with his own. It was for this reason some called it the Holy Wars; it ended with a Paladin crossing swords with a fellow Paladin.

It was after the war that Roderich and Antonio had gotten engaged. That Vash felt his heart shatter. He knew Roderich just wanted to help but marriage! It hurt more than any scar he suffered from that war. Scars…for some reason none of those hurt more than the 'X' shaped scar of his left shoulder though maybe was because it came from fighting a corrupt Paladin. But why was he even thinking of that!

"Vash? Vash!"

"Huh?" The former mercenary blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. He turned his head to see Kiku frowning at him. Alfred was looking at him curiously from behind Kiku with Arthur and Francis nowhere in sight. Ivan was also back and drinking a clear liquid from a large mug. How long had he been out of it? "Sorry."

It was at that moment Francis came back, placing a cup of hot chocolate in front of him. "I know what you were thinking about. Sorry for bring it up. Can't be easy haven't fought in a war so young. I know it's left a few mental scars on Gilbert. You do think it would teach Arthur not to judge so harshly, though. He was just old enough to take care of himself when it happened and barely escaped. In a twisted way it's thanks to the war that we met. His family took shelter here back when I was doing more cooking and less actually running."

The young man gave a sigh, shaking his head. "Strange how the world works like that. All the witches and wizards that chose this town as a safe haven actually made this village what it is today in just fourteen years. It was once just my family and two other small merchant families and a family that ran a farm. Now it's starting to become the place to go in this kingdom to study magic. It's become known as a place of safety at night in this kingdom. Even better a close friend of mine from the south has found the life he's always dreamed of. Just…such a same so many lives were lost for all this good."

Vash frowned. He remembered hearing about that. How the village had been run down then several fleeing families thought it the perfect place to settle down and all in the group that knew magic blessed the land. The very village had become tied to magic from that moment but it wasn't flying brooms and teleporting like in those stupid children's books. Most of it was protecting the village and enchanting goods like crops and stones. But there was still the tragedy the village had bloomed from. Wait! That reminded him of another question he had!

"Back on the subject of you being friends with King Antonio and Gilbert. How did a tavern owner become such close friends with two royals?"

Francis laughed at that, smiling. "I was waiting for you to ask. All that know do. As I said; I was once a bit of an adventurer. Hard to believe, I know. One of the first places I went was Antonio's kingdom. We connected at once. Gilbert happened to be there visiting and it was just like the world wanted the three of us to be best friends. Actually Gilbert and I are part of the reason so many rushed here. He would take the witches and wizards he rescued here though at first it was intended to be just a quick stop to rest and recover to places built to keep them safe from the enemy army. Many loved it here so much they started fixing up old houses and decided to stay. In a way I guess the three of us being such great friends also lead to this place being what it is today."

Vash listened, drinking the hot chocolate in front of him. That was right, he remembered Gilbert mentioning that he brought people to a small, run down village to heal and recover but most decided to stay. "So the village was renamed?"

"Oui. In a sense it was reborn so it was agreed to give it a new, better fitting name. Actually even the tavern here was renamed which is probably obvious by the name alone. Ah! Excuse my manners! You must also been hunger! What can I get for you?"

It was only at that moment that his stomach growled, making him realize he really hadn't eaten much lately. Not that he wasn't used to it but it was a good idea to get a decent meal while he could. "You know how to make rosti?"

"Ah! Oui! No problem! Oh! And Victor, your soup is almost ready. More vodka?"

The large man looked up from his almost finished drink with a bright smile, nodding. "Thank you, Francis. That would be great."

Vodka? Was that what that stuff was? "What is vodka?"

Ivan chuckled at the question, holding what was left of his drink towards him. "Vodka is very popular in my kingdom. Its alcohol made from potatoes. Its strong stuff. Think you can handle it?"

Vash winced as he managed to get a small whiff of the drink. It smelt strong! "I think I'll wait until I have some food in my stomach."

"Smart move. Most think to deny the drink makes them less of a man. I think jumping to agreeing just makes someone more of an idiot. You don't know if it's drugged, maybe even poisoned. You don't know how it could affect you." He gave another laugh, shaking his head. "How easy it would be to hide something. You have to really trust a man to let him give you a drink without seeing him drink the same thing from the same glass first." The prince is disguise gave a slight smile at that, Francis coming back with another large mug of the strong drink and a red colored soup with a bit of cream on top.

The short blonde gave a small smile as well. He understood what that smile was saying; it was saying that it was just another example of the trust and secret bond between him and the tavern owner. It got quiet as they ate, Vash avoiding asking Alfred and Kiku about the strange food and drink they had. Kiku's drink really had his curiosity. It looked almost like tea but it had a smell that said it almost if not as strong as the vodka Ivan had drunken four large mugs of.

They are carried on with their dinners and drinks like this was all normal, Alfred being rushed off to bed after a couple of hours, even though they weren't practically strangers until Ivan stood. "It's time for me to take my leave."

The tavern had almost cleared out by that time as it was after midnight and Francis looked up from helping Toris clean up with a small frown on his face. "You have to go? You know there's pl-"

"Nyet!" Ivan frowned, shaking his head. "I-I don't want to be a burden. I will see you same time tomorrow night, Francis. Goodnight." With that he took off, surprisingly fast for a man his size.

Vash slowly look at the tavern owner. The youthful, cheery young man with the ever present smile he'd seen since arriving seemed to fly away with Ivan. What was now left was a man that was starring at the entrance to the tavern like he hoped any moment that large man would change his man. After a few minutes, Francis sighed and went back to helping clean up. "So…where to now, Vash? Or will you be staying longer?" The taller blonde's voice sounded broken, like he was holding back tears. It was such a big change from the light, energetic from not too long ago.

"I plan on staying longer. I still haven't helped anyone in this village like King Roderich told me to. Besides, I'm not even sure what my next move is, yet. Just that he's up further north."

"I see." Francis gave a sad smile, looking at the door again. "Where do you think he goes in such a hurry every night? It's like he's scared to stay until morning." He sighed, shaking his head as he grabbed some cups. "It's late. You should all get some rest. Especially you, Kiku."

Vash sighed, standing up and heading back to his room. He was suppose to be saving the kingdom and yet right now life felt…so dull. Everything seemed too normal for the world being in danger. It felt more like he was on vacation at a close friend's, if he had any close friends, house. But it seemed all he could really do was rest for the time. Why did he finally feel so tired, anyways? It seemed the moment his head hit the pillow that he fell asleep.

* * *

><p>You all like? At first I was going to have it be longer before Vash figured out Victor was Ivan but...well, he's not stupid. Not saying the others are, they just don't have all the pieces of that puzzle that Vash has. XD Francis and Ivan really stole the show this chapter but I plan on all the other main pairings and their stories getting as much attention...I hope. After all, the focus pair is suppose to be Vash and Roderich even if they aren't together right now.<p>

I...do love this chapter. I adore how I had Francis act through the whole chapter. Honestly for a while I struggled on how to interrupt Francis and Arthur's fighting. The main point was to explain Matthew and Alfred in this world as well as to show how things are in the family. BTW, before anyone comments that Ivan shouldn't be that fast I almost have as much mass as him and I can move pretty quickly, just not for long periods of time so I decided it wouldn't be impossible considering most of his weight isn't fat.

Yes! The war is what I wanted my cowriter's say on but she wouldn't read it. If you couldn't tell it actually takes references from several wars. Most obvious are the Crusades and World War II. I decided since I made it so recent to have it be why Antonio's kingdom had fallen. My main worry was it being confusing or people taking it too seriously. It's all plot devise and to further setup the timeline of events in this world.

You may have noticed in all the chaos and relaxing Vash forgot about the interrupted conversation with Ivan. That's because in all the chaos -I- forgot and decided if I could forget in two hours I wouldn't blame Vash for forgetting flashing back to a war he fought in at a young age. I can't think of anything else to say without rambling on. Until the next chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry to keep you guys waiting so long, Ivan kept stealing attention in a scene which gave me writer's block. So in the end I cut the scene out because he's really been stealing the focus.

I'm happy to introduce my Shetland OC in this chapter! DA got a few sneak peaks of him through artwork and made it clear they love him so I hope you guys love him just as much. Now...enjoy~.

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><p>"<em>Vash…Vash!"<em>

_Here it was. It was happening again. "…Roderich."_

"_You got distracted. It's not like you, Vash." The king's tone was light, almost like he was trying not to laugh with amusement. "But so far you've done well. It seems your path is already about to take you out of Euranova Village but you will return. Make sure you ask Prince Ivan for that name again: I have a feeling it will be very important. But…if you are to journey any further north you should get some armor. The north has more darkness and more dangers."_

"_How is it you know all this? And where have you been?!"_

"_I had to rest my magic, Vash. I know because Vukasin is watching you. And he's also keeping an eye on Prince Ivan for some reason. Now, you're old armor back at my castle sh-"_

"_No! I'm not wearing that. I'm not you're knight anymore. I'll be fine."_

"_Cloth and leather are no good against brutes and your old armor is still just as good. It should keep you safe in the cold darkness. You don't have to wear your old cape, Vash. You don't have to be a knight. I just ask that you protect yourself for the best chance of protecting the kingdom. Now just listen to me! Please, Vash. I'm running out of time before I have to rest again. You remember that wolf? Take him and Gilbert to the castle and find it. I have a feeling the wolf would be a valuable asset for you."_

"_The wolf? Nuntis?" How could a wolf be so valuable…though he did destroy those Shadows Wolves with ease. "…fine. But I'm doing this for the kingdom. What about Kiku?"_

"_Kiku? That's the masked man with you?" Roderich frowned, shaking his head. "Right now it's better for him to stay in the tavern. Though Kiku…how could I have not noticed him in my own kingdom?"_

"_You know him? What are you rambling on about?"_

"_H-….-nce…east…mis-…" The king sighed, shaking his head as his image started to become less solid, almost flickering. "I'm….so-…"_

"_Roderich? Wait!"_

Vash bolted up, frowning as his mind slowly caught up with the rest of him. "…why did I even ask him that? Not like I missed him." The former knight sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. "…guidance, that's all. I…just needed help with my next move." He shook his head, quickly getting dressed.

rrrrrrrrrr

"Wake up, Roderich."

Roderich groaned, slowly opening his eyes. He was so exhausted. But it was worth it to see Vash again after so long even if there was still that distance.

"You're wasting your energy, you know. You're so pathetic: eager to have your strength return and wait for him to go to sleep just to communicate with him. What are you doing in his mind, Roderich? You know certain things require more than the mind to be connected. But you are very aware of that, aren't you? I bet you haven't even tried knowing what it could do to him." The warlock smirked, turning his attention back to the red mass of energy he used to gaze at the world. "You know his heart could never connect with yours…so why take that chance?"

The broken king held back a groan, looking sadly at the ground. Both times he had communicated with Vash he wanted more than anything to touch him even slightly. But physical contact with such magic required that their hearts also connected. If not it could be painful and even scaring for both of them. He just couldn't take the chance on Vash truly not even seeing him as a friend anymore and hurting the former knight. Roderich was forcing his heart to accept that every word and action was for the kingdom.

"No clever come back this time? Of course not. Once again you wasted your magic and the little strength you have on a foolish young man. You should have studied how to use all that magic to fight instead of such trivial things. Is Vash even aware of where you are?" Vukasin chuckled, smirking. "No. Because for you to tell him would be sending him to his death. You know he can't defeat me, not with the magic I possess. Now, I'm going to go check on the progress at your old castle. Behave, Roderich." With a dark laugh the warlock was surrounded by a red mass similar to the odd orb he gazed into and vanished.

"…Vash."

vvvvvvvvvv

Vash quickly made his way downstairs, shocked as he was greeted by a very excited Nuntis. "Hey! Do-down, Nuntis. I don't…get down!"

"Nuntis! Over here!" Francis was laughing, setting down a plate of raw meat and a couple chopped vegetables on the floor behind the bar. The wolf didn't have to be told twice, rushing over to dig in. "Sorry about that, Vash. He's just so excited today and I can't blame him."

"Why? What happened?"

The tavern owner grinned, setting down a plate of pancakes and some tea for Vash. "It's a miracle, Vash! Matthew has made a full recovery!"

The shorter blonde gave a small sigh of relief, sitting down to eat. "That's a relief. Where's Gilbert?"

"He and Matthew went to take a walk around the village." Francis frowned, eyeing Vash for a moment. "You seem in a big rush. Something the matter?"

"Another message from King Roderich: I need to…find something at his castle with Gilbert and Nuntis and then meet up with…Victor again."

"A suicide mission." The pair jumped, looking towards the stairs to see Kiku standing a few steps from the bottom. "A wolf, a paladin, and a retired knight rushing off to a castle where who knows what is just waiting for you. Were you always so reckless, Sir Vash? One does not simply rush into a cursed castle with such a group. Not unless they have a death wish."

"I trust King Roderich's judgment." He'd been right so far…why shouldn't he be right now? As much as Vash hated going after his old armor this was for the kingdom…for his little sister. He wondered how she and the queen were doing. They were safe…they had to be safe.

"You're holding so much trust in a man that you abandoned all those year ago?"

"I didn't abandon him! I couldn't walk the same path as him. Anyways this is for the kingdom."

"Of course…for the kingdom. But you shouldn't go just the three of you."

"Well, if you're so smart what do you suggest?!"

"You need someone that can use magic, and not just in the form Gilbert can. You need someone that would be prepared for any enchantment or curses you might encounter. Our greatest foe here is a warlock: you'll need someone with you that can at the very least sense and dispel. I don't think we can ask Arthur for help: I doubt he'll be eager to leave the tavern to help us."

"Non!" The ranger jumped, startled by Francis' sudden outburst. "Kiku, I know what you're suggesting! I will not allow it! Alfred is not running off on an…" He frowned, looking around and lowering his voice. "He's not going on an adventure. I-I forbid it. I won't let either of my children do something so reckless and dangerous."

Kiku frowned at that. "I cannot go: this curse weakens my magic. So…you have a better idea?"

The tavern owner thought for a moment, his mind clearly working in overdrive. Without answering, he bolted upstairs to his room. After a while he came back with quite a change. His shirt was pure white like he had just bought it as did the bark brown pants, black heeled shoes, and powered blue coat with gold trim he now wore. But what really stood out was the leather bag over his left shoulder…a bag held closed by gold clasps with a square spiral on it.

Vash's eyes went wide, knowing what that symbol was. "You're…an alchemist?"

"I was…I gave up on it when I met Arthur. It makes him uncomfortable and convinced me to give it up when I got pregnant. But I haven't lost my touch, I can assure you. If this is what it takes to keep my children safe…I will go."

He thought for a moment. Francis seemed their best option right now. Besides, it sounded like he was a seasoned adventurer. "...Alright. We'll leave once Gilbert gets back."

"Leave for where?"

They all were surprised, turning to see Gilbert standing in the doorway with a much healthier, happier Matthew. Vash was rather surprised, noticing now that he was standing next to someone that Matthew was rather tall, taller than the rest of his family. Said blond frowned, looking at Francis.

"...Y-you're going with them?"

Francis frowned, clearly trying to think for a moment. "Mattie, I'm sorry but I have to do this. They need my help."

Matthew shook his head, looking very upset. "Wh-what about me and Alfred? We're just going to be left behind while you risk your life. If you and Gilbert are going I'm going too!"

The tavern owner sighed, shaking his head. "Non. Someone has to take care of things here and you know you can't trust your brother with the inn. Just...don't mention this to him. You know what he'll do. Matthew...as my son I'm asking you to trust me. I'll have Gilbert, Vash, and Nuntis with me."

He seemed to think for a bit before giving a sigh. "Wh-what would I tell Alfred? He's bound to notice."

Francis thought for a bit on that, thinking before giving a smile. "Tell him I'm going to check on Antonio. Same with Arthur if he gets suspicious."

The tall blond gave a sigh, nodding before looking down at Nuntis. "Y-you take good care of him, ok?"

His 'mother' chuckled, giving his son a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You take care, Matthew. I know you can do it."

XxXxX

At a steady pace the four made their way north west towards the castle, Francis using the horse Kiku had before. Vash couldn't help but be on his guard, ignoring the banter of the two old friends behind him reminiscing about before the tavern owner had put an end to being an adventurer. Everything seemed peaceful until the sun started setting, when Nuntis tensed and barked at the sun like it was about to charge them.

Francis frowned, getting off his horse to check on the wolf that insisted on jogging beside him the whole time. "...Nuntis?" He gasped, jumping back as Nuntis took off into the trees.

Vash frowned, wondering what was going on before looking up at the sun again. "...We should make camp for the night. It would be bad to get too close to the castle at night. At this rate if we wake up around dawn we should reach the castle with plenty of time tomorrow."

The former mercenary got off his horse, starting to unpack the bag on it that held two small tents they'd been using. Sure, they could have managed with one but Vash enjoyed his privacy so they brought two along. "I'll take first watch, you two get some rest."

The tavern owner was still starring at the forest, frowning before Gilbert put a hand on his shoulders. "Hey! No worries. Sure he'll be just fine. Come on. Let's get some sleep." The shorter blonde couldn't help but notice just how distracted Francis was, not taking his eyes off the forest until the tents where sent up and even then Gilbert had to guide him into one of the tents.

The short blonde thought for a bit, trying to keep his focus on watching for trouble. Why was Francis so worried about that silly wolf? If anything he'd think Nuntis would be worried about Francis! There was something...so odd about that wolf. He certainly didn't know any wolves with yellow fur that seemed to favor day to night. Before he realized it, his thoughts distracted him and he drifted off to sleep.

_"Va-! Va-! Vash!"_

_"...Roderich?"_

"VASH!"

Vash blinked, jolting awake. He was startled as he realized he was in his tent, though he was happy to see he was still fully clothed. He slowly realized Gilbert was starring at him from the entrance of the tent. "What?"

"Sun is about to rise so I thought I should wake you up. You alright? You dozed off on guard duty and it sounded like you were having a nightmare."

He held back a glare, getting up and storming out of his tent, busying himself with getting things packed away. "I'm fine. I think Roderich was trying to tell me something but he doesn't have the power right now. Where's Francis?"

Gilbert tried not to laugh, grinning. "Nuntis came back. Francis scolded him for looking like he slept in a mud puddle and insisted on giving him a quick bath."

The ranger sighed, shaking his head. "We don't have time for this! We need to get to the castle!"

"Ja, I know but he won't be long." He chuckled, waving behind Vash. "Kessekessekesse! Speak of the devil!"

Vash turned around to find Francis walking towards them, Nuntis barking happily and running circles around the tavern owner as he laughed. "Finally! Come on! We need to get going!"

The taller blonde sighed but kept the smile on his face as he shrugged. "Really now, Vash? The sun is barely up. We have time." He chuckled, helping finish up the packing before they all got on their horses.

The shorter blond sighed but decided for the moment getting to the castle was more important than scolding him as she focused on getting there.

The sun was just starting to peak over the forest to their left as they approached the castle, Vash stopping as he gazed up at the towering building. It was just as he remembered with his massiveness, light grey walls and many towers glaring down at him...like a prison. For a man so used to his freedom that's what the place had been like but he endured, all for nothing.

"This is the palace?"

Roderich turned around to smile at him. "Ja. You've never been working for my father? I do wish we could make the castle white but such a color on the exterior is hard to keep. Too much trouble in the end. Vash? Everything alright?"

"Huh? Yeah...just fine. Guess it's time to get ready for my ceremony..."

"Vash!" The ranger blinked, looking down to see Francis and Gilbert starring up at him. The albino laughed, grinning. "Day dreaming again? So unawesome. Come on! We've got a mission, right?

"Right!" He tried to ignore the chill that ran through him as he got off his horse, tying it to some nearby trees with the others. Vash took a deep breath, walking up the massive marble staircase towards the massive oak doors. Every step echo with memories, memories and feelings he wanted to escape from.

Francis smiled, looking around while trying to do his job on detecting spells. "A real palace. This feels like a dream."

That confused and surprised Vash as he heard that. "Your two best friends are royalty and you've never been in a palace?"

"Non. Antonio was never one for the big towers and massive walls and Gilbert may be next in line but he doesn't live here. It's the silly dreaming of a romantic, I know...but I have always dreamed of a strong prince or a beautiful princess taking me, and my sons of course, away to live with them in a castle. Oh, how wonderful that would be~." He laughed, shaking his head. "But listen to me ramble on. I'm just a tavern owner. Such things only happen in stories. Ah! Stop right there!"

The taller blonde chuckled, taking out his thin sword and tapping the ground in front of him. A thin thread seemed to slowly disappear into the walls as a blast of lightening filled the arch. "Amateur. This is the warlock causing Arthur so much trouble? Must either be playing mind games or try and make us drop our guard. Alright. Which way?"

He thought for a moment. How long it had been and yet he still remembered. Probably because he often had to help the directionally challenged prince. Vash resisted the urge to touch the white pillar on the corner as they reached the entry hall. "There should be a staircase heading down to the armory if we turn left here."

Gilbert looked at him surprised. "The armory? Couldn't we just have something made?"

"...King Roderich insisted..." With that he let Francis lead on, Nuntis watching the rear as they heading through a wooden door and down the stone steps. Vash resisted the urge to close his eyes and escape the memories, having to stop once in a while for Francis to dispell barriers with a powder in his bag.

"These are getting harder and harder to dispel and the barriers are placed so no one can attempt to jump around them. Someone was protecting something." Francis looked around worried as they reached the bottom of the stairs, grabbing the blue powder out of his again as he dispelled another barrier on the door. He sighed, moving to lean against a wall. "That one was powerful. Been a while since I used to much magic."

The paladin frowned, moving over to his friend. "You going to be ok?"

"Oui...Just a little dizzy...I should be fine now." He sighed, slowly pushing himself off the wall. "There now we sh-" They all jumped back, seeing a blur of blood red and forest green go passed them and the door to shatter open. Despite the flashy display, the source ended up knocked out by the door and Vash glared, moving forward to hold his sword to the neck of a young man. He had deep red hair that was messy falling around his neck. The red head was wearing a dark green sweater with pants a few shades lighter. Covering the rest of him were gloves and boots the color of wood as well as dark grey mask that hid his face.

"A thief. With his timing he must have been waiting for us to deal with all the barriers. And yet he let himself get knocked out by a door. Idiot."

The young man's ocean blue eyes snapped open, looking at the sword. "Well...this is an inconvenience."

Vash glared, suspicious of his casual attitude. "What are you doing here?! Who are you?!"

The thief sighed, rolling his eyes. "Does no one have manners anymore? Look, I'm not here to be a bad guy. I'm here to be a hero."

"Prove it! Who are you?!"

Francis sighed, placing his sword under Vash's and gently moving it off the youth's neck. "Really now, Vash? Can't you see he's only a boy? Can't be more than fourteen."

Said teen rolled up onto his feet with ease, a grin apparent in his eyes. "Now he understands. Look, 'Vash', I have a mask on my face. You think I'm going to tell you my name? But fear not. I'm not hear for the kind of treasure you're thinking of. I'm here to be a hero and rescue the damsel in distress."

The former knight couldn't help a dirty look, confused. "Damsel in distress?"

"Of course." The mysterious red head laughed, shaking his head. "It's classic, isn't it~? Lower floors of a large castle, lots of traps. Not to mention the rumors. I've heard whispers from some escaped servants that King Roderich has a daughter...just reaching maturity. Now, they wouldn't tell me more than that out of fear...but that's why I'm here!"

The tavern owner sighed, shaking his head. "Ah. Sounds like my Alfred! But...a daughter..." He frowned, looking at Gilbert who seemed to get a little nervous.

"Wh-what!? What did I do?!"

"I thought so. You know something!"

"Guys..."

"Of course not! Why would I?!"

"Guys."

"He's your cousin!"

"GUYS!" Vash sighed, having finally gotten their attention. Roderich...have a daughter? If that was true Elizabetha was the first woman he married to his knowledge. Why would he hide it? If it was he hoping Vash would find her or did he not want him to know that badly? "...This doesn't concern us. We need to get to the armory."

Francis looked shocked, starring between the other three in the room. "But Vash! This is -Roderich's- daughter! She is heir to the kingdom! A child. We can't just leave her." Besides him, Nuntis gave a bark, seeming to agree. "See? Nuntis agrees."

Gilbert frowned, clearly trying to think. "It's all just rumors. There...there were rumors around the palace. Some servants saw a child with purple eyes and assumed. The child of one of the servants. Must have wondered down here on accident trying to escape when the castle was taken."

"But she's still an innocent little girl! Please. We can't abandon here!"

It was the shorter blonde's time to try and think and fast. "...Fine. But we drop her off at the closest town. We can't be taken care of some child."

That was when the strange boy laughed, breaking his silence. "Fine. You guys can tag along on my big adventure. Just don't get in my way. Word is she's my age and princess or not that means I get to rescue her and make her my bride."

Francis sighed, walking over and tugging down the youth's mask, revealing his face as he passed by. "Really, Connor? I knew that was you. You never change."

Connor gave a pout, glaring. "You're no fun! I'm not a bloody child!"

"There it is. Relax, Vash. As I suspected it's just Arthur's little brother, Connor. I know he doesn't look it much but Arthur is the only one in his family that doesn't have red hair it seems." he spoke casually, still walking the hall with Nuntis at his side.

Still suspicious, Vash gave Connor a warning look before the two of them and Gilbert followed. Everything since dull and straight forward until Connor walked towards a lite torch on the stone walls. He moved around, not speaking a word as he seemed to test them before pulling it down. "There!" He grinned, cocky and triumphant as the wall shock the area before opening.

Gilbert was startled, rushing towards the passage. "How did you do that!?"

The youth laughed, grabbing the torch. "I am Magnus Gunn! World's gr-ouch!" He frowned, glaring a Francis that has smacked the back of his head.

"Non you are not. You are Connor Kirkland. Now stop fooling around. We-" It was Francis turn to get cut off, a strange noise coming from inside of the passage.

Connor grinning, pulling out two daggers. "Yes! Some action!" With that he bolted away, Francis clearly worried.

"Hurry! He doesn't know what he's doing! I can sense something...some very dark magic and a lot of it!"

"Don't need to repeat yourself!" Vash glared, drawing his sword as he dashed down the passage. They arrived just in time to see Connor fly into a wall of a circular room that, a strange smoke around them.

The source of it, turned, smirking at them even as Nuntis growled. "Well, well. Isn't this perfect? Sir Vash and the little mutt!" His smirk turned to a glare as his gaze fell on Gilbert, taking in his armor. "And the royal paladin captain. Tell me, how do you sleep at night after the wars. Filth!"

Gilbert glared back, drawing his own sword. "...Vukasin."

Vash's glare hardened, tightening the grip on his own sword. "Vukasin?"

The warlock laughed, a dark laughed that echoed off the smooth, stone walls. "How delightful it would be to deal with you now but I do owe you all. You opened the way to a little leverage I seek in these walls that I've been searching so hard for. Yes...the barriers were blocking my magic from finding this place but you opened it and the passage for me."

It was then Vash knew who he was, feeling his blood boiling. He couldn't control his rage, lunging for Vukasin. The dark man twirled his hand, producing a golden staff with a midnight blue orb that was kept in place by a golden wolf head. He slammed it on the ground before Vash could come close, sending a shock wave through the area that threw him and Gilbert against the wall. Nuntis tried to take the blow for Francis but it only resulted in both being knocked out against a wall.

"Pathetic. You're Roderich's mighty hero? I think I'll take my prize now."

"Think again." Connor smirked, behind Vukasin with a dagger to his throat. "That prize is mine."

Vukasin just gave another laugh. "You think a dagger will kill me?" He held his left hand to Connor's stomach, casting a lightening spell only to have his eyes widen as he disappeared into mist. "What!? An illusion spell!? How!?"

"You clearly don't know my family, old man!" The real Connor smirked, far down the next hallway of the passage.

The warlock growled, not liking that he fooled by such a simple spell. It wasn't that he couldn't sense it, he didn't think to! Everything about the boy screamed a thief! Their illusions usually came from trinkets, not magic! "...You won this round as a fluke, boy! I'll be back for my prize." He glared, looking at Vash, Gilbert, and Francis whom was starting to stir. "Same goes for you four! Especially the knight and the mutt! You got lucky this time!" With that a red orb appeared that quickly swallowed him up as he vanished.

Francis groaned before gasping, shaking the wolf on his lap. "Nuntis! Oh, thank goodness he's still breathing." He frowned, slowly standing. "Is everyone else alright? You think we should go after Connor?"

Gilbert seemed a bit distressed, putting his sword away. "The kid will be fine. Come on! We need to get to the armory. ...Nuntis may not be human but he's hurt. We should get out of here as quickly as possible and tend to our wounds."

Vash growled, adrenaline still pumping through him as he thought of the warlock and Roderich. "Right! Let's go!"

cccccccccc

"...This is it." Connor smiled, feeling very victorious as he reach the end of the hall to be greeted by a solid but rather nice looking door. It was made of a very sturdy stone that almost blended in with the rest except for the hinges, silver to blend in but not well enough. "They wouldn't make this easy. The lock or the hinges might be enchanted...him." He thought for a moment, breathing into the lock and smirking before taking out a lock-pick, soon hearing a satisfying click of it unlocking.

As he opened it, he felt his heart race, spotting a figure with their back turned to him. The stranger seemed young, about his age with pale blonde in braided pigtails that reached to their waist. With the chair the other youth was sitting in, back turned, it was hard to make out much but he saw they had a powder blue shirt with long sleeves and a white vest. "Your hero is here!"

The stranger paused from their painting, slowly turning around to reveal voilet eyes. "My hero? Can't you see I'm busy. You're disturbing my art."

The thief blink, getting a better view to see the figure wasn't a princess but a prince! "Don't be silly! I'm here to save you from the evil warlock! Come on!" He grinned, grabbing his wrist so he could pull the other and pick him up better before taking off down the hall.

"What are you doing?! Hey! Let go! My painting!"

Connor didn't seem to mind or care, carrying him off and out of the palace while the others had only just reached the armory.

vvvvvvvvvv

Vash sighed, now face-to-face with his old armor as he grabbed the left gauntlet in his right hand.

Gilbert looked at him, seeming to understand. "...Come on and get it on. We need to get back to Euronova and plan our next move." He turned around, knowing Vash liked his privacy.

Francis wasn't paying attention, keeping an eye on Nuntis. "Hurry. Please. Nuntis' breathing is getting swallow. The sooner we leave and set up camp the better."

The ranger gave a nod, changing as quickly as he could. "Right. Let's go."

Quickly they all left, Vash moving quickly despite the new added weight. He was very eager to get away from the palace that held so many once cherished but now painful memories. Once they were a good distance they set up camp, Francis at once ducking into a tent with Nuntis.

Vash sighed, shaking his head. "I know Nuntis saved him twice now but he's making such a big deal out of it. It's a wolf."

Gilbert laughed at that, shaking his head. "Nuntis is more than a wolf, Vash. Him and Francis just seem to have this bond. To him losing Nuntis is like losing one of his children. Plus Vukasin seemed to recognize him. He might just be important in saving Roderich."

"Yeah...maybe..." Roderich did ask him to bring Nuntis along for a reason...right?

It seemed like hours before Francis came out, sighing. "He's going to be fine. He's resting now. If no one wakes him up he should be fine for morning."

Vash frowned, realizing what that meant. "But then we only have one tent."

The tavern owner looked at him, a pleading look. "Please, Vash. Just tonight. Nuntis has put his life on the line for me so much. It will also increase the chances he'll be well enough to follow along as usually tomorrow morning. I-I'll take the second watch. I'm sure you'll be more comfortable with Gilbert since you two fought together."

He thought for a moment. Well, he did make a good point. And the sooner they got back to the safety of the tavern the sooner they could plan their next move. "...Fine. You two rest. I have first watch." With that he sat down, bow and arrow at ready at his side.

vvvvvvvvvv

Vukasin growled, rushing through the castle. "I can't believe it! The brat actually got away with him! He can't have gotten too far!" He glared, heading upstairs thinking maybe he was hiding there. He checked around, finding a locked down and quickly turning it to ash in his rage. Nothing!

He gave another growl, tearing through the room out of frustration until...something caught his eye. He slowly turned to a dresser, noticing a painting. It had a woman with it with brunette hair and green eyes in a beautiful but simple white dress standing next to Roderich. It...couldn't be? "Queen...Elizabetha?" Vukasin had a look of confusion on his face, feeling...something strange in himself. He shook his head, disappearing from the room. He needed to calculate his next move...not stare at a wedding portrait.

* * *

><p>You guys can most likely already figure out the deal with him. A lot changed for my original ideas for this. Kugelmugel was going to be liked in a tall tower because I've been poking fun at that stuff but then everyone was heading to the lower areas of the castle and I saw my chance.<p>

Yes! I plan on Vukasin falling in love with Elizabetha. I have big plans for this that will actually be use for plot purposes.  
>I can't think of anything else to say.<p> 


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